The first step to getting a PSD is consulting with a mental health professional. They will discuss your mental health and see if a service dog or an emotional support dog may be a good fit for you. It’s important to remember that in order to get a service dog, you must have a diagnosed disability. But you may qualify for an ESA and both are known to provide comfort to people suffering from depression or other mental illnesses.
Once you have a doctor’s recommendation, it’s time to find a dog for you. Any dog can become a service animal. There is not a law with breed restrictions or size or age requirements. It’s all about finding what works for you. If you struggle with balance because of your medication or condition, a larger dog may be a good choice so they can support you. Small dogs also have many benefits as well. The ADA states no specific breed is better than any other at providing services to their handler.
Adopt a Service Dog in Minnesota
Animal shelters and rescue organizations are a great place to find a canine companion who you can then train to become a psychiatric service dog. Below are some shelters in Minnesota where you can potentially adopt a new best friend. Visit their website, see if you find your perfect match and fill out an application! Volunteers will be able to offer a lot of great information about a dog’s behavior and personality to see if they would be a fit for you.
- Underdog Rescue – Louis Park, Minnesota, US
- Midwest Animal Rescue and Services – Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
- Secondhand Hounds – Minnetonka, Minnesota, US
- Ruff Start Rescue – Princeton, Minnesota, US
- Heart of Minnesota Animal Shelter – Hutchinson, Minnesota US
- Warrior Dog Rescue – Shakopee, Minnesota, US
- Animal Humane Society – Coon Rapids, Minnesota, US
These shelters will help you find your perfect fit! Be sure to mention your disability during the process to see if the dog would work well for you as a service animal. Ask questions about their personality, trainability, age and more. Fill out any necessary forms and talk with people at the shelter about the pup you’re interested in. Your adoption fee or donation could even be tax deductible.
What is a Psychiatric Service Dog?
A psychiatric service dog is a very unique type. These specially-trained service animals help support their owners’ unseen disabilities. Since PSDs require extensive, quality training, they are recognized as a service animal by the ADA and have certain rights protected by federal law. It’s important to know these laws and review this information so you know what your service animal is entitled to.
Service Dog Rights
- Public access rights: This means psychiatric service dogs have a right to come with their owners in public locations, such as restaurants, malls, businesses and stores where animals are not normally allowed. This can vary state-to-state law wise, but a service animal must be allowed in an organization if their handler needs them. This right is protected by the ADA.
- Travel rights: This ADA ensured right states that service dogs can travel with their handlers anywhere they go. This means they are allowed on all public transportation, including planes, trains, taxis, buses, etc. In fact, these dogs have a right to sit in the cabin and the owner does not have to pay a fee for their service animal to fly with them.
- Fair housing: Under the Fair Housing Act, service dogs can live in housing that doesn’t normally allow pets at no additional fee. This applies even if the housing location has a no pets policy. This way a service dog owner can have the support and assistance they need from their pup in their home. If an individual is denied housing because of a service animal, this violates disability law and is discrimination and can be brought up in a court of law.
- Educational Facility Access: Under the Individuals with Disabilities Act, service animals can accompany their owner into schools, colleges, universities, etc. Whether a disability or impairment is physical or mental, if someone needs the support of a service animal to learn in a facility, it must be allowed. This partnership of human and dog is vital.
Types of Psychiatric Service Dog Training
We’re going to focus on psychiatric service dogs today. These pups, as well as other types of service dogs, go through extensive service dog training programs. Training service dogs is a difficult task, especially since what needs to be taught varies for all disabilities. It’s vital to train your assistance animal well, so let’s discuss the different types of training you can pursue.
- Self training: It is possible for a handler to train their own service dog, but it is not recommended. Task training is very difficult and requires experts for a reason. It’s best to work with a qualified service dog trainer who can help you throughout the process. If you do go this route, it’s important to do your research to ensure you’re ready to train an animal.
- Adopting an already trained PSD from a service dog organization: This is a popular method, but requires a lot of money upfront. Service dog trainers work with a dog, usually from birth, to prepare them to be a service dog. The main problem with this method is the high price. A trained service dog will cost you around $30,000 from reputable trainers, which is quite a bit of money to bring a service dog home for about 10 years.
- Partnering with a professional dog trainer: This is the most popular option and for good reason. Working with a service dog trainer allows you and your dog to work together to address any problems you may have and find a task to help solve it. You can modify behavior of your pooch, explain more about your condition, and make sure you and your dog are on the same page and work as a partnership. It also helps to be able to ask someone questions as you and your dogs are the clients in this situation.
What Do Psychiatric Service Dogs Do?
By definition, a psychiatric service dog must be trained to perform a specific task that aids its owner with their disability. Some tasks PSDs are trained to handle include:
- Wake up their owner from nightmares
- Provide tactile stimulation during anxiety attacks
- Facilitating social interactions for owner and reducing fears of being around others
- Grounding a person dealing with anxiety
- Fetch medication and water
- Lead their handler to safe place
- Help create a safe personal space if their handler is overwhelmed
- Provide balance assistance if their handler is struggling
- Remind their handler to take medication at certain times of day
The services these dogs provide are very important to people suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD and many other disabilities. We’re currently onboarding our professional dog trainers and will be offering this option very soon. In the meantime, those interested in getting a psychiatric service dog can begin the process by seeing if they qualify for a PSD through our free screening here.
Conclusion
Are you interested in getting a psychiatric service dog?
Here at CertaPet, we can help. CertaPet is an online tele-health platform that improves access to mental health care in the U.S. with a focus on providing services to individuals who are seeking animal assisted interventions as part of their treatment plan.
We are currently coordinating with dog trainers who specialize in the service animal space and who will soon work in tandem with our network of licensed mental health professionals to make the process of getting and training a psychiatric service dog affordable, convenient, and hassle-free. We’ll have more information available soon about our Psychiatric Service Dog Training options. In the meantime, you can take our FREE pre-screening below to see if you qualify for a PSD!
FAQs
Can I train my own service dog?
It is possible to train your own service animal, but it is not recommended. It’s best to work with a professional trainer for the best results.
What is the difference between a service dog and an emotional support animal?
A service dog is a federally recognized assistance animal that undergoes specialized training to assist people with disabilities, while emotional support animals are merely pets who help provide comforts and require no formal training.
What mental disorders can service dogs assist with?
Service dogs can help with many mental disorders including PTSD, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism and many more.
